“Is that what he calls it?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” She turned toward the door and reached for the knob. “There’s no use talking to you about this.”
He pushed his hand against the door. “Laurie, please.” Softening his voice, he continued. “I understand better than you think.” He blew out a long breath. “Look, I only have a few more runs to make and I’ll be done. I know you think you’re protecting me, but I won’t let you to do something that you’ll regret.”
She refused to meet his eyes, keeping her gaze locked on the door. I’ll do what I have to do.
Daniel woke late the next morning, relieved as the ceiling came into focus. He touched his puffy eyelid. The swelling had lessened and he could now see with both eyes. He raised his head from the pillow, noting how the sun spilled in through the tall window and extended across the bedroom floor. Stretching his arms upward, he felt the muscles in his back unwind.
His mind flashed to the memory of Laurie driving away in Brown’s car. Daniel crashed back against the mattress, glaring at the cracks in the ceiling.
That afternoon at the lake had been so idyllic. He could still feel her leaning against him—gentle and trusting.
He balled his hands into fists and drove them into the bedcovers. She deserved better than Samuel Brown. He had to find a way to convince her of that.
Daniel pushed up from the bed and padded down the hall to the bathroom he shared with the other two apartments. He splashed cold water onto his face, relishing the startling effect on his senses.
The droplets cascaded from his face into the sink as he examined his reflection in the mirror. The effects of Johnny’s blow were fading, but he still looked like he’d been in a barroom brawl.
It didn’t matter. He had to see Laurie and find some way to convince her that Brown wasn’t worth her time. And even if she was only seeing Samuel Brown to protect her brother, someone had to step forward to protect her. That someone might as well be him.
The whole next day passed in a blur. Laurie sat perfectly erect at the switchboard, her hands and voice doing all the work, while her mind wandered elsewhere.
What was I thinking? He’s a federal agent; my brother is a rumrunner.
She fiddled with the cord between her fingers, lifting it from one hole and jabbing it into the next, pressing on her earpiece with a single finger hoping that it would help her concentrate.
She imagined Samuel’s fingers running through her hair and she closed her eyes for a second and shivered, the hair on the back of her neck standing up in response.
And then there was Daniel. She sighed. How foolish to pine after a man so utterly unsuitable. She ran a hand across her face, trying to push away the battling images.
“Are you feeling okay?” Anne-Marie leaned close to her and whispered.
Laurie completed her call and nodded to her friend. “Just a draft.” She ran a quick hand over her finger waves. She’d spent extra time on them this morning, dawdling in front of the mirror far longer than usual. Her father, working the night shift this week, had gotten home, given her a bleary-eyed grunt, and headed straight to bed.
Laurie handled another call before allowing her mind to wander back to Samuel. She still marveled at how he reacted when she pulled away. She was accustomed to men with fiery tempers. His quiet response completely disarmed her. “He respects me,” she had told Johnny. Then why the stolen kiss?
Her life had been shaped by her father’s drunken rages and Johnny’s sober ones. What did she know of respect? Samuel’s lingering touches left her reeling.
Laurie closed her eyes between calls. She had to make the images and sensations fade so she could focus on her work.
Amelia answered the door even before Laurie had finished knocking. Seizing Laurie’s hand, Amelia pulled her inside, light dancing in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’ve come!”
Laurie let Amelia take her sweater, hat, and pocketbook before settling on the sofa.
“Your hair looks wonderful.” She reached up and touched the gentle waves clinging to the sides of Laurie’s face. “I knew you’d get the hang of it.”
A wan smile lifted Laurie’s lips, though she felt like collapsing on her friend’s shoulder and weeping. The tensions of the past weeks made her head spin.
Amelia cocked her head to the side. “What’s going on?” Her lips pressed into a line. “Is it Daniel? Samuel?” She grabbed onto Laurie’s hands and squeezed.
When Laurie winced, her friend looked down and gasped. Pulling back her sleeve, she stared at the marks on her wrist. “What’s this?”
Laurie yanked her sleeve back down. She hadn’t come to tattle on Johnny. She wanted her friend’s sunshiny outlook to blow some warmth back into her day.
“Who did that to you?” Amelia’s eyes rounded.
Laurie pulled away and stood. “It’s nothing. I banged it against the doorframe on my way out this morning.”
Amelia’s face dissolved into a frown. “I’m not stupid.”
Laurie’s heart plummeted. She sank down next to her friend on the sofa.
“It wasn’t Daniel, was it?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good.” Amelia folded her hands in her lap. “He looked kind enough, but sometimes looks can be deceiving.” She sat back and eyed Laurie. “Your father?”
Laurie swallowed and glanced at her hands. “No.”
Amelia sprang up and paced around the room. “I know your father has hit you before. Not that you’d ever confide in me about it.”
A stabbing pain pierced Laurie’s heart. “What makes you think that?”
Her friend stopped midstride and settled her fists on her hips. “Johnny.”
Laurie’s jaw dropped. “He—he said that?”
“Not in so many words. But I’ve heard enough to realize that your father is a violent man.”
Laurie pushed to her feet, her knees trembling. “You take that back, Amelia White.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
A silent cry rose in Laurie’s throat. No one can know. She covered her face with her hands.
Amelia walked to Laurie’s side and tugged her hands downward. “Enough secrets. We’re best friends. You understand I’ll love you regardless, right?”
A tear slipped from Laurie’s eye and she lifted one hand free to brush it away. “My father doesn’t hit me. But he used to hit Johnny.” She gulped back her tears.
“That’s why he left home?” Amelia’s shoulders sank as if she were the one who had been beaten down.
“Yes.” Laurie bobbed her head, not trusting her voice.
Amelia’s mouth turned downward. “Did it happen often? I spent so much time with you two. I never saw any signs.”
“No, only . . . ”—Laurie pushed her fingers against her eyes, trying to use pressure to stop the tears—“. . . Only when . . . ”
Footsteps sounded in the hall. Both women jumped to their feet.
Johnny stood in the entrance to the room, his face haggard. “The door was open.” The air fell silent but for the sound of breathing. “You going to finish that statement, Laurie?”
Laurie ran the back of her hand under her eyelids to catch the moisture.
He turned to Amelia, his chin firm. “She means to say, he only hit me when he was drunk.” He faced his sister, his expression dark and unreadable. “But that’s not completely true. He hit me worse when he wanted to be drunk.”
“Johnny . . . ” Amelia’s voice broke. She dropped Laurie’s hands and moved toward him.
He raised a hand to keep her at arm’s length. “Wait.” He turned to Laurie. “I never told her anything. You’ve got to know that.”
Laurie felt their pain merge, like three vines clinging together on the same tree.
Amelia stood between the two of them, glancing back and forth. “How did I not know any of this?” A tiny crease formed between her brows. “You were both like family to me, but you kept me in the dark.” She clamped her hands i
nto fists. “You two are like locked rooms. You don’t let anyone inside. Not even me.” Tears appeared in her eyes.
Johnny’s face contorted. “Amelia.”
Amelia pulled at her dress collar as if in sudden need of air. “You were willing to marry me but not tell me anything about this?”
Johnny took a step toward her, but she pushed him away and took several steps back.
“You’ve heard the wedding vows before, haven’t you, Johnny?” Her voice rose. “Good times and bad? If we’re going to be family, I don’t want to be sheltered and protected like some child.” She took another step back, away from the two of them, a new shadow crossing her face. “The marks on your wrist, Laurie—if it wasn’t your father, then who?” A tear trailed down her cheek, as if she already knew the answer to her own question.
Laurie sank onto the edge of the sofa, unable to speak. The truth would hurt Amelia worse than simple bruises.
Johnny took his cap in his hand, his shoulders sagging. “It was me.”
25
Laurie crossed her legs and jiggled the toe of her shoe under the cover of the soda fountain counter. The fragrance of fresh coffee had pulled her in from the sidewalk like a honeybee to an apple blossom. Since her father was still on nightshift, she hadn’t bothered to brew any this morning and had sneaked out early so as not to wake him. She’d had enough family drama for a few days.
She couldn’t deny the undeniable urge to see Daniel, again. And yet, since she’d walked through the door, she’d had difficulty meeting his eye.
Now, watching Daniel’s back as he poured cream into the pitcher, she felt a fresh shiver race through her.
What am I doing here? Last night all she could think of was Samuel. Now she sat pondering Daniel’s back.
He straightened, turned, and passed the pitcher over to her with a hesitant smile. “You’re my first customer this morning.”
She tipped a small stream into her cup, careful not to let it run over the top. “I thought you had turned the soda fountain over to Marcie.”
“She doesn’t come in for a few hours yet. We don’t get many customers this early.”
She sipped the coffee, careful to keep her eyes on the cup and not let them drift back to Daniel. Every time she looked at him, she felt a needle jab her heart. They’d had such a wonderful time at the lake, but she’d barely spoken to him since. And that had been when she was here with Samuel.
He leaned on the counter. “How are those headaches?”
She glanced up at him from under her lashes, holding the cup in front of her lips. “I haven’t had any trouble with them lately.” She noticed the bruise on his face and nearly reached to touch it before she caught herself. “What happened to you?”
“A little late-night brawl. No big deal.”
The glint in his eye told her he was teasing, but she decided not to pursue it. Instead, she glanced over his shoulder at the clock. Twenty minutes until her shift. “You must have things to be doing. Don’t let me stop you.” She fingered the cup, half hoping he’d stay.
He did.
They spent the time talking about her work at the exchange and the customers at the pharmacy. Laurie marveled at how easy it was to talk with the man—no tension in the air, like the time she spent with Samuel.
Maybe I’m just more comfortable around gangsters. She gazed at his long fingers as he tapped them on the counter, overcome with a sudden longing to touch his hands.
She finished her coffee and laid a coin on the counter. “I should be getting to work, I suppose.”
He pushed the coin back to her. “Keep it. I’ve missed talking to you. I’m sorry I was rude when you came in the last time.”
“It was awkward. I shouldn’t have come.”
“No.” He shook his head. “It was unprofessional of me. I need to apologize.” He paused, gazing at her. “I’d like to make it up to you.”
The hair prickled on Laurie’s arms.
“Let me take you to dinner tonight.”
She swallowed, words failing her. Dinner with a federal agent one night and a rumrunner the next?
He leaned forward, palms against the marble counter. “Unless you had other plans?”
Her breath quickened as she gazed into his eyes. “No, I don’t. Not tonight, anyway.”
A smile spread across his face. “Is that a yes?”
Have I gone completely insane? “Yes.”
Daniel hurried through his day and rushed out a few minutes early to change his clothes. After spilling some sulfur powder on his sleeve, he decided it would be best to not arrive smelling like brimstone.
He hurried down to the exchange, his heart swinging between joy and dread. Somehow, he needed to convince Laurie of Brown’s true nature without sounding the jealous suitor that he was.
Brown stood at the corner, reclining against his pretentious Studebaker. The government man’s fedora slanted to the side, his hands hidden in the pockets of his wool slacks.
Daniel set his jaw. Brown may look like a gentleman out for a jaunt, but he’d already convinced Daniel that inside the well-dressed man lurked the soul of a snake.
Brown straightened as Daniel approached, a smirk creasing his face. “Ah, Mr. Shepherd. Are you here to meet one of the girls?”
His words were like sandpaper to Daniel’s nerves. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
Brown turned and gazed at the squat brick building. “It’s a wonderful place”—a smile twisted the corner of his lip— “filled wall to wall with lovely young ladies. No better hunting ground for a man on the prowl.” He turned and faced Daniel, a dark look settling in his eyes. “Except perhaps a nursing college.”
Daniel’s throat tightened. Brown couldn’t know about that.
“You went to the University of Washington, right?” Brown brushed lint from the hem of his jacket, his voice as slick as oil. “You must have spent some time around the nursing school.”
Daniel’s mind raced. What possible reason would Brown have for digging into his past? His palms grew damp and he slipped them into his pockets to discreetly dry them. “Yes.”
“And you worked in a Seattle pharmacy, too?”
“Yes.” The hair on his neck prickled. “How did you know that?”
Brown folded his arms across his chest and smiled. “People talk. I listen. It’s amazing what you can learn.”
At that moment, the door to the exchange opened and several young women exited the building, Laurie at the rear. She stood still while the others departed, her gaze flicking between the two men.
Daniel, still reeling from Brown’s revelations, held his tongue.
Laurie approached, her lips opening and closing like a fish struggling for a breath. “Samuel. Daniel. This is a surprise.”
Brown raised his eyebrow at Daniel. “Could it be that we are here to meet the same young lady? Now that makes things uncomfortable, doesn’t it?”
Laurie fingered her skirt. “Samuel, I thought our plans were for tomorrow night.”
“So they are.” He took his hat in his hands. “I just thought I’d come by and see if you’d like a ride home from work. But I see now that you already have that covered. I’m glad you are in such capable’’—he cast a pointed glance at Daniel—“and experienced hands.”
Daniel had misjudged the federal agent. Brown didn’t have the soul of a snake—he didn’t have a soul at all.
Brown nodded to Laurie and Daniel. “You two have fun tonight.” He inclined his head toward Daniel. “Treat her right. She deserves it.” A momentary smirk lifted his mouth as he turned back toward Laurie. “I have plans of my own tonight. I thought I’d take a long drive—see if I can find any excitement brewing.”
He took her hands and leaned down, brushing a kiss against her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, beautiful.”
She blushed and stepped back, but her eyes lingered on Brown as he made his way to his automobile.
Daniel’s stomach soured. The silence grew bulky betwee
n them.
A flurry of emotions played out in Laurie’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said, finally. “I didn’t know he would be here.”
Daniel shrugged one shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.” He struggled to sort out the conflicting sensations in his gut. Seeing her reaction to Brown’s attention made him want to turn on his heel and head for home.
And yet, the luminous blue eyes pulled at him. Daniel set his jaw, determined to wipe every thought of Samuel Brown from her mind and heart. Offering an elbow, Daniel forced a smile. “Shall we?”
Her cherry-red lips pressed together and she slid her hand into the crook of his arm. “I’m ready, if you are.”
He escorted her down the street, his gut still churning from Brown’s artful insinuations. How much did he know, and whom had he told? A cold chill swept over Daniel. This dinner with Laurie might be his last.
Laurie struggled to maintain her composure as she strolled down the street, her hand on Daniel’s arm. All day she had been thinking of this moment, but seeing Samuel waiting at the door had thrown her heart into a whirlwind.
She cast a quick glance up at Daniel’s face, the bruise on his cheekbone drawing her eyes. I am going to dinner with a rumrunning gangster. So much for turning over a new leaf.
One thing was certain. She wouldn’t be kissing those lips goodnight.
The candles flickered, casting a warm radiance on Laurie’s beautiful face. Their conversation—stilted at first—dissolved into easy banter. Daniel took a sip of his water as Laurie spoke of summertime visits to relatives who lived on Orcas Island in the San Juans. He regaled her with stories about how he, Johnny, and the other boys snuck through the downtown tunnels, pretending to search for lost pirate treasure or rescue Chinese slaves.
By the time they finished dessert, Laurie’s face sported a ruddy glow that warmed Daniel’s heart. He dared to take her hand as they walked down the street to his Buick. A thin crescent moon swung low in the sky over the water, like a fishing hook angling for a big catch.
Daniel hated for the evening to end, plus he still hadn’t broached the unpleasant subject of Brown. “Would you care to go for a drive?”
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